Ted wrote: . . . I love the sound of music drifting (or even blasting) out of windows as I walk through my neighbourhood. This isn't suburbia. . . . .

One of my favourite ways to hear music, although perhaps not to do the deep listening.

Right now, "Lee's Garden" by Lee "Scratch" Perry from The Mighty Upsetter, produced by Adrian Sherwood and on On-U. A song full of good advice that perhaps should be played loudly in suburbia. The whole album has grown steadily in my estimate over the two-plus years it's been out, although the dub version, Dubsetter, fixes a problem or two that detract from the original. Good for the deep listening.

Afrobeat Visions by Bukky Leo & Black Egypt — perhaps my most favourite post-Fela Afrobeat album. A great version of "Why Can't We Live Together" amongst other soulful tracks. I've liked Bukky Leo ever since the acid jazz days; there's just something about him to my ears. Doesn't seem to be very prolific though. Anybody else familiar with his music or even know him personally around and about on the London scene? Please tell him "hello" if you do and see him and let him know that his music has penetrated the Great Northwest.

I don't know if this is already being flogged to death across the UK, or the world for that matter, and very likely Paul doesn't need any extra promotion, but still I've been listening to this a lot over the last few weeks and I think it's really good. It's a classic "World Music" album in as much as there's lot of african influences in the rhythms and instrumentation but none of it sounds forced or unnatural. Paul Simon still sounds like himself. Interesting thoughtful, even quirky, songs with good arrangements; I don't know anyone else who pulls it off so well.

It's been a funny old day. Depressing this morning, when I had a saunter through the BBC album reviews. Nothing much of interest, but I found myself staring in disbelief at a special edition six CD version of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon'. Six CDs. Special. Of the same old stuff. Six. CDs.

According to the review, it has 'eye-watering content'. Certainly if you didn't have that true grit quality you might want to burst into tears. Apparently for your money (and it will be an 'eye-watering' amount, no doubt) you get:1. 'the remastered original album' (so that's the thing that's been out for yonks, but now with a sticker saying 'remastered'); 2. 'the rarely heard quad mix' (note the phrase 'rarely heard,: there's a reason for that:no sane person is interested)3. 'a 1974 live at Wembley concert version' (so the same thing only crap)4. 'Blu Ray and 5.1 Surround mixes' (I've no idea, to be honest, but the fact that all this 5.1 stuff is listed after a crap live concert version means that it's even worse)5. 'DVDs of concert and screen films' (now we are getting desperate)6. ‘previously unreleased recordings' (yes, the reason they weren't previously released must be because they are irredemiably crap). 7. 'live concert variations' (presumably they had to keep practicising and getting it wrong until they were finally able to deliver 3 above).

The depressing thing is that reviewer treated all this tosh as if it was a perfectly reasonable addition to the sum of human happiness, rather than the law of diminishing returns starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel. In a sane world, he would have just filled the page with 'ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....'

I was starting to wonder if I could go on in this cruel heartess world when the postie came up trumps with this....

A few year's ago, I bought Peret's 'Que Levante el Dedo' CD and thought it was cracking. So I thought I'd try some of his older stuff. Jeez, this stuff is bouncing! Only 12 tracks, but it never lets up. No crap. No 5.1 blue ray concert special unreleased bodge-ups. Just 12 up-and-at-em beauties. Here's one track, but I could have picked any: 'Siempre':http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXOE1OGs ... F06505AF58

I wonder if there is a parrallel univers where Los Pink Floyd would settle for a tight 12 track "Grandes Exitos" compilation...

Meanwhile, I have been greatly enjoying this terrific album since yesterday evening:

I also caught the band live last weekend. A remarkable chance, since the gigs were their very first here.

I spent the weekend visiting my parents with our son. He got the opportunity to spend some quality time with the grandparents, I sneaked out on my own to the yearly literature festival that was held during the weekend. One of the festival themes were the Nordic Countries, and - lo and behold! - the embassy of Iceland proudly presented the superlative reggae band Hàlmar as a part of their cultural package.

I cought the band live at the festival - they played a couple of afternoon gigs there - and they turned out at least as solid a band as I had expected. I bought that album directly from them before the gig, and they turned out to be very nice and uncomplicated, down to earth people.

Playing Bonga's Best Of again, which is really mostly a collection of his more recent tracks on Lusafrica — but very enjoyable. I remember not being very impressed by much of the material at first, it's rather mellow, but then Charlie pointed towards the Bairro album and my ears warmed up to this later part of his work. Angolan music, in general, is among the most charming from Africa although it has a rather tortured history.

Today I had a rare brainwave at school. A particularly inept young chappie who had (of course) not practiced and did not have his notes. Rather than torture him unduly I thought I would play a game with him. I got the iPod out and played him music from around the world and he had to guess where it was from. He perked up and paid full attention and did surprisingly well. He got music from Cuba, Congo, Lebanon, California, Italy and Jamaica.